NYAPRS Note: The following pieces (please forgive some of the label language) underscore the rising use and importance of text, cell and web based technology in facilitating information sharing between healthcare consumers, providers and other related groups.

Can Consumers With Cognitive Disorders Use The New Technologies?

By Monica E. Oss, CEO Open Minds September 5, 2013

Developed by OPEN MINDS, 163 York Street, Gettysburg PA 17325, www.openminds.com. All rights reserved. You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work. You may not use this work for commercial purposes without written permission from OPEN MINDS.

There is one predictable comment that I get when I'm discussing treatment technology with clinical teams – "Our consumers can't use that [name a technology]. They can't use computers and smartphones – and they don't have the money to access them."

What I think they are saying is that individuals with cognitive disorders can't use the new array of apps and web sites and health monitoring tools that are becoming commercially available. And, I also think this is shorthand for, we (the management team) don't need to know how to use these technologies.

But, au contraire. In fact, consumers with cognitive disabilities of all types are making great use of these emerging technologies (I'll get to the access issue later) – and organizations that serve these consumers run the risk of obsolesce by not keeping on top of the tech and the trends. Here's a quick summary of what's out there now...

While we don't have a national survey providing statistics on the use of technology by consumers with autism, if the commercial market is any indication, the available assistive technologies for this consumer group is on the rise. According to Pradnya Joshi in Finding Good Apps for Children With Autism, "The Apple iPad has been hailed as a savior for assisting children with autism spectrum disorder or other special needs...." And, in the ITunes store, there are 30 categories of apps being used with and by people diagnosed with autism, Down syndrome and other special needs.

If serving any of these populations is in your organization's future, brushing up on the emerging consumer treatment technologies would be a good investment of time.

And one note on the issue of cost of access to these technologies. As we move from fee-for-service payment to value-based payment arrangement for provider organizations, I think provider organizations will find it cost effective to provide high-cost consumers with these technologies in order to reduce both administrative costs and cost of care.

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Brooklyn Startup Sells ACA Texting

Crain’s Health Pulse September 6, 2013

Brooklyn mobile communications company Mobile Commons has found a growing niche: It is contracting with the nonprofit and governmental organizations that are spreading the word about state health exchanges.

The company's product is a text-messaging service that it says specializes in getting responses from the 18- to 29-year-old demographic. That's an important target market for the exchanges, since that age group is seen as prime customers to buy individual policies on the exchanges come October.

Company co-founder Benjamin Stein said clients include exchanges in several states, including Connecticut and New Jersey. Private insurers are also customers. The actual messages vary, Mr. Stein said.

"We have a content library that includes grade-level appropriate messages in Spanish and English," he explained.

The more targeted the message to the recipient, the better the response rate, he added. Texting is most popular in low-income households. Hispanics text 156% more frequently than Caucasians, while African-Americans text 224% more, said Mr. Stein.

Located in Brooklyn's Dumbo neighborhood, Mobile Commons is seven years old and has been used in many political and goal-oriented campaigns, including the Obama presidential races.

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The Number Of Tech-Enabled Professionals & Caregivers On the Increase

By Monica E. Oss, CEO, Open Minds August 29, 2013

Developed by OPEN MINDS, 163 York Street, Gettysburg PA 17325, www.openminds.com. All rights reserved. You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work. You may not use this work for commercial purposes without written permission from OPEN MINDS.

The individual stakeholders – from physicians to care givers – are moving to embrace new treatment technologies to make their professional lives and their personal lives easier. Keeping up with them will be a challenge for most provider organizations.